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Pecan Praline Coffee Cake

Pecan Praline Coffee Cake

This pecan praline coffee cake proves that a tub of sour cream and a generous handful of pecans can turn into a genuinely impressive breakfast bake with almost no effort. This pecan coffee cake recipe layers a double pecan streusel around a tender, sour cream batter, delivering everything a proper praline crumb cake should taste like. Whether served at a lazy holiday brunch or dressed up as a southern pecan coffee cake with bourbon icing, this praline pecan crumb cake earns a permanent spot in the regular rotation.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Course: cake
Cuisine: Breakfast
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup butter room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Equipment

  • stand mixer
  • 9x9 baking dish
  • Offset spatula

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×9 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. Combine melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, flour, and pecans in a medium bowl. Stir until evenly combined. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and the sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in the eggs and continue mixing on medium for 2 more minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  4. Add in the vanilla, sour cream, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix for 1 minute until combined.
  5. Turn the mixer to low and add int he flour until just combined. Don’t over mix.
  6. Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture on top of the batter. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top of the streusel, spreading it out with a spatula or offset spatula. Sprinkle the remaining streusel on top.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
  8. Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until no lumps remain. Drizzle this on top of the cake while warm.

Recipe Notes

Sour cream: I always use full-fat, since it gives the richest, most tender crumb in this batter.
Pecans: I chop mine finely, since large chunks make slicing the finished cake far more difficult.
Butter: I use melted for the streusel and room temperature for the batter, since each component needs a different texture.
Walnuts: I swap these in for pecans when that is what sits in the pantry, since both work equally well.
Vanilla extract: I use a full tablespoon in the batter, since it adds real depth of flavor to this cake.